Transcript Land Use and Misuse Problems in Sudan By Mohamed Elamin

Land Use and Misuse
Problems in Sudan
By
Mohamed Elamin
Abdelrahman
Nov. 2006
1-Sudan
Area: 2,506.000 km2 .
Extends over five agro-climatic zones .
Highly diversified in all aspects.
65.4% of the population depend on
natural resources to sustain their
livelihoods.
Natural Resources –stock taking
.1-Geography: North east Africa.
Based on climate and topography
he country is divided into several
ographical regions.
2- Climate:
ainfall -<25mm->1400mm/annum.
Temp: >40oc in summer
10-20oc in winter.
1.3- Geology:
-Basement complex is the most
extensive formation (non-bearing).
-Nubian sand stone, Umruwaba
series and Elatshan are the most
important water bearing formations.
1.4-Soils:
-UNESCO-FAO (1971) identified
nearly 100 soil categories. Out of
them:
-Xerosols: Extensively used for
grazing and cropping.
-Arenosols: Found in western Sudan.
Extensively used for cultivation.
-Vertisols: The widest spread soil in
Sudan.
-Fluvisols: Found throughout the
Nile Valley and the major
Wadis.
1.5 Vegetation: Divided into5 main
zones. Desert, Semi -desert, Low
rainfall wood land savanna, High
rainfall wood land savanna, Flood
and Montane Zones.
1.6 wildlife.
1.7 Forestry.
1.8 Water Resources:
-Surface Water (rivers, wadis and
swamps).
- Ground water.
2. Land use
2.1 Agriculture:
-Nearly half of the country area is
suitable for agriculture.
-Only 8-10% is currently used.
-Forms of Agric. : Traditional rain
fed, Rain fed Mechanized farming,
Irrigated agric. And associated
activities as gum production.
2.2 Range and livestock:
Much of Sudan surface area is more
suitable for livestock grazing than
cultivation.
3- Land Tenure
- Land is central issue. Means for
basic survival. Individual and tribal
bride. Sources of potential
exploitation and conflict.
3.1- Land Tenure Systems:
+Traditional: The concept of the
customary tribal homeland is the
most important constituent.
+Modern: Under which land is
registered as private or state
property. Most tribal lands were
registered as state property resulting
in so many conflicts.
3.2 Land tenure, rural poverty and
conflicts:+Laws and land decrees
have undermined the legal rights of
the rural communities.
+Land is subjected to privatization
and commercial speculation that
resulted in (modified land tenure
systems, alienation of agropastoralists from their traditional
homelands, competition and
conflicts over land …etc.)
4- Misuse problems
+Land related problems (Decline soil
fertility, salinity, erosion, land
degradation … etc).
+Water related problems ( water
shortage, quality, periodic hazards
of floods and droughts).
+people related problems (changing
land tenure, land fragmentation,
overgrazing, deforestation,
conflicts)
5- Management systems
+Government: The concept of
natural resources management has
evolved series of surveys and
assessments. By 1946 Soil
Conservation and Land use
Department has established to study
phenomena like desertification, land
degradation, …
NGO’S: ( foreign and national in
addition to CBO’S are deeply
involved in natural resources
management as part of their
development pursuits.
+Communities:
Realizing the importance of N.R
conservation.
-Jointly with government and
GO’S implementing development
rogrammes.
+In rural areas they own land and
allocated according to individual
needs.
+Have their customary law and
traditional conservation mechanisms
6-Conclusion
The increase in population,
environment changes, globalization
of economies, high demand and
competition for land resources, all
these call for a whole new approach
to land tenure and natural resource
governance. For this reason we are
trying to adopt land reform policies
and laws through:
-Democratization of land
administration systems.
-Community participation in
designing new land rights systems.
-Comprehensive and integrated
resources management that suit the
complex realities of Sudan
environments.
-Examination of the shortfalls of
customary land tenure.